KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) today urged the Transport Ministry to review entry fee charges for buses and tour vans to pick up and drop off passengers at KLIA2.

This was imposed by its operator from March 1 this year, Segi Astana Sdn Bhd.

MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said in a statement today that the RM8 for buses and RM4 charges for vans will further burden transport operators, especially those in the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) category, who are already struggling to sustain businesses due to increasing operation costs and reduced business.

“This is definitely unfair since there are no entry charges for picking up and dropping off tourists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for the first 30 minutes, (which is) operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) on its own,” Tan said.

Segi Astana Sdn Bhd, which was appointed by MAHB to operate gateway@klia2 as well as its retail space, car park and transportation hub under a 25-year build-operate-transfer concession which expires in 2037, with an option to extend for an additional 10 years, has recorded significant revenues and growth occupancy rate, Tan noted.

“For the first nine months of 2018, Segi Astana’s revenue is at RM90.5 million with 86.8 per cent growth occupancy rate for gateway@klia2 and high passenger traffic of 30.3 million at KLIA2 compared with 28.2 at KLIA,” the Matta president said, questioning if it was necessary for Segi Astana Sdn Bhd to collect the entry fee charges as it seemed to be in good financial shape.

Tan has called for the Transport Ministry to look into the decisions made by Segi Astana Sdn Bhd.

According to a March 22 business report by local newspaper The Sun, MAHB had received a notice of arbitration from Segi Astana Sdn Bhd with claims amounting to RM70 million, which is related to matters concerning the klia2 Integrated Complex.